Boiler compound.



VALDIMAR J. MELSTED, OF WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA.

BOILER COMPOUND.

1,210,965, Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VALDIMAR J. Mnns'rnn, acitizen of the United-States, residing at the city of Winnipeg, inManitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBoiler Compounds; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same.

.My invention relates particularly to compounds to be mixed with thewater in a boiler and which cause the interior of the boiler to becoated with a substance adapted to prevent the formation of scale, and,to remove the scale in cases where it has already been formed owing tolack of a detergent.

The object "of my invention is to provide a compound having metallicmercury, instead of an amalgam thereof, as its predominating element. Tothis end I comminute a body of mercury by agitating it with a substanceadapted to subdivide it into minute globules, this comminuted mercurybeing used alone or mixed with suitable proportions of other well knownscale detergents. The advantage of the mercury isthat being in a finestate of division upon its introduction into the boiler, the finelydivided particles, instead of sinking directly to the bottom and thereforming a pool of mercury, adhere to the rough surface of the tubes andsheets of the boiler, gradually finding their way into cracks andcrevices in the scale, and working their way to the surface of the iron.Subsequently these cracks become sealed up with fresh scale, thuspreventing the access of water to the iron. A slight increase intemperature ensues, causing the mercury to expand, thus forcing off aportion of the scale. I prefer, however, to mix the comminuted mercurywith other well known scale detergents such as soda carbonate, sodahydrate, tri-sodium phosphate, dextrin or tannin; and for the mosteconomical mixture, I prefer the following proportion Finely dividedmercury 7 parts. Soda carbonate 30 Sodium hydrate 10 Tri-sodiumphosphate 18 Dextrin 20 Tannin 15 In the process of manufacturing thecompound the mercury is first placed in a closed vessel with a liquidadapted to commmute it,

Patented J an. 2, 1917.

Application filed December 10, 1913. Serial No. 805,818.

such for instance, as crude petroleum, a solution of tannic acid, orother substances which are liquid at ordinary temperatures. I willdescribe my invention, however, referring to petroleum: The vessel isthen shaken to violently agitate' the mixture and cause the mercury tobe comminuted, the fine particles being individually coated and thusprevented from running together, by the tannic acid solution or crudepetroleum or other substance having this function. This comminutedmercury may, as above mentioned be used alone or with other well knownscale detergents. In case of the larger mixture the ingredients shouldbe well mixed in a dry condition and then sufficient water added to forma stiff paste which may be molded into bars of convenient size whichwill gradually dry and harden. The molded product thus produced isplaced in the water in the boiler. The compound thus produced has theadvantage of removing or preventing scale and incrustation and thus alsopreventing loss of the heat generated and reducing to a minimum thedanger of explosion.

The comminution of the mercury by means of crude petroleum or tannicacid is by far the most easy method of introducing mercury in a finelycomminuted state into the compound or entering the coated particle aloneinto boilers.

The amount of oil or tannic acid used for breaking down the mercury doesnot require to be accurately proportioned, but 1 part of oil to about 20parts of mercury, by weight, affords about the best proportion.

The comminution is accomplished. by simply agitating the crude petroleumor solution of tannic acid with the mercury in a closed vessel atordinary temperatures and at atmospheric pressure. The mercury by thismethod may be broken up into practically any degree of fineness; Iestimate that when it is broken up to a very fine degree that the sizeof the individual particles of mercury do not exceed 1000 of an inch indiameter, and each individual particle is so thoroughly coated with thefilm of oil that it remains separate for a long period of time, such,however, is not the case when tannic acid and mercury is used as theparticles join each other and assume their orlginal state when notagitated.

When the mercury is comminuted with crude petroleum it can be introducedinto lic state and a separating substance in a liquid state at ordinaryatmospheric tem- 15 perature.

2. A boiler compound consisting of a mixture of comminuted metallicmercury and petroleum.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 20 name to this specification inthe presence of two witnesses.

VALDIMAR J. MELSTED. Witnesses:

J OSEPH YA'rEs, HENRY A. V. GREEN.

